When a new cell site for wireless services (i.e., mobile communication) is established, the new cell site may be the first wireless coverage to be provided for the coverage area. When demand for more capacity increases at a later time and beyond the capabilities of the initial installation, the cell site infrastructure is often physically changed to provide the needed coverage capacity. Physical changes to the cell site infrastructure can include establishing smaller cells (i.e., more cell sites) or splitting a coverage cell into multiple sectors. Splitting a coverage cell into multiple sectors can involve less infrastructural changes than establishing multiple smaller cells, but it can still involve changing much of the initially installed hardware, e.g., antennas, feeding lines, feeding hardware, etc.
When an initial cell site with an omnidirectional coverage pattern (i.e., single sector) is changed to a multi-sector site for capacity, multiple items in the installation may need to be modified at significant cost. For example, an omnidirectional antenna may need to be replaced by a multi-sector antenna (e.g., a three-sector antenna), a single coaxial feeder line may need to be upgraded to a multi-coaxial feeder line, and a full power feeding amplifier may need to be replaced with multiple feeding amplifiers (e.g., at one-third of full power each in the case of three sectors).
Mechanisms and systems are needed to more efficiently transform a cell site for providing higher capacity coverage for an area.